Third meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (COP-3)

Article 21 of the Convention requests parties to periodically report on the measures taken to implement the Convention, effectiveness of these measures, and possible challenges they face. The first "short" reporting is due by 31 December 2019, covering Article 3 (mercury supply and trade) and Article 11 (waste). The full reporting is due by 31 December 2021, when parties are expected to report on the measures to phase out mercury-added products by 2020, national action plan on artisanal and small-scale gold mining, etc.

Modérateur/Moderator  Mme/Ms. Oarabile Serumola (Botswana)

Le Side Event se déroulera en français et en anglais avec une traduction simultanée dans les deux langues. Des sandwiches et des boissons seront servis / The Side Event will be held in French and English with simultaneous translation in both languages. Sandwiches and drinks will be served

The event will address the various challenges of both the point and diffuse sources of mercury releases and emissions from the dental sector. A roadmap to phase out the use of mercury dental amalgam will be shared. It sets out a new standard for best environmental practices and utilize the best available technology for the permanent abatement of mercury pollution from the dental sector.

Programme: three PowerPoint presentations followed with opportunity for questions from the delegates to the expert panelists.

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is the largest anthropogenic source of mercury globally. Under the Minamata Convention on Mercury, Parties agreed to take steps to reduce, and where feasible eliminate, the use of mercury and mercury compounds from ASGM. To address this sector, the GEF approved a $45 million global program, Global Opportunities for Long Term Development of the ASGM Sector (GEF GOLD). This program now has its own identity and is branded planetGOLD. 

During this side event, some of the main issues associated with the ASGM sector will be presented, including formalization, finance, and alternative technologies to mercury. Through video, the event will bring miners’ voices to the COP, to identify practical issues and barriers in reducing/eliminating mercury in ASGM. A panel of experts and the audience will then offer their perspectives and possible available solutions.

Introduction

Multilateral Environmental Agreements are fundamental instruments in strengthening the environmental dimension of 2030 Agenda. In this wider context of sustainable development, the MEAs have a crucial role not only in responding to environmental challenges but preserving the human wellbeing, healthy ecosystems and food security.

The biodiversity and chemicals/waste related MEAs cut across all the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.  In addition to their distinct legal mandates, many interlinkages exist across the conventions. These interlinkages and cross-cutting issues provide concrete footsteps and opportunities for closer cooperation at all levels. New thinking and models for action are needed to reverse the current environmental trends.  There are increasing calls to address the challenges coherently by working together, outside the silos.

The current ongoing processes on post-2020 framework for SAICM and the post-2020 biodiversity framework provide important avenues for enhancing policy coherence and cooperation. These future looking processes offer concrete ways to enhance synergies both among the different MEAs as well as in the wider UN-system.  The Chemicals and Waste Branch of UNEP in consultation with Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC) and other institutions is currently working on an Assessment paper, which seeks to assess the linkages between chemicals and waste management and other international policy agendas and to identify opportunities for coordination and cooperation. The paper presents an entry point to further build on synergies between identified policy agendas, including implementing biodiversity and chemicals/waste agendas at national, regional and global level. 

UNEP and the various environmental agreements need to further strengthen the joint actions to deliver on the environmental dimension of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. Promoting synergies of MEAs across biodiversity and chemicals/ waste clusters is one of the key areas of work in this regard. 

Moderator: Dr, Shahriar Hossain (World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry), Bangladesh

National governments, with funding provided by the GEF and technical assistance provided by GEF implementing agencies, have over the past years been implementing Minamata Initial Assessments (MIAs) that aim to strengthen national decision-making toward ratification of the Minamata Convention on Mercury and build national capacity towards implementation of future obligations.

The overall objective of this side event is to showcase how the knowledge generated through MIA contributes to timely and effective ratification and implementation of the Minamata Convention.

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) has challenging environmental and social implications. The sector significantly contributes to mercury emissions the environment creating damage to human health and the environment. Many efforts are under way to improve this situation. With this side-event the Government of Switzerland and its partners would like to discuss the implementation of the Minamata Convention with regard to ASGM in different countries such as Colombia, Ecuador, Ghana, Mongolia, Nigeria, and Peru. Where does mercury free ASGM work and why? What alternative approaches and better practices exist? How should tailings in ASGM be managed? How can formalization lead to better practices? How can a traceable value chain encourage the reduction of mercury use eventually to zero? What role can the harmonization of legislation play?

The event is targeted towards delegates from different ministries, NGOs and the private sector all dealing with the challenges in the ASGM sector. The event will discuss the questions above through concrete examples of different countries.

Objectives:

• Engage civil society organizations and indigenous peoples representatives to provide inputs to the COP
• Share experiences and lessons from community-based actions on mercury management

Organizer:  GEF Small Grants Programme, together with Minamata Convention Secretariat and partners

Moderator: Xiaofang Zhou, Director of Montreal Protocol Unit, UNDP

The BCRC-Caribbean has executed as well as participated in numerous mercury-related projects to help further the implementation of the Minamata Convention and raise awareness of the issue of mercury in the Caribbean region. Some initiatives include Minamata Initial Assessments (MIA) projects across nine countries; Fish Mercury Biomonitoring in the Caribbean Region Project; and a National Action Plan for ASGM in the Co-operative Republic of Guyana.

In carrying out these projects, the lack of knowledge on the issue of mercury amongst stakeholders ranging from government officials, healthcare professionals, waste management professionals and the general public were noted. The need to gain support from the range of stakeholders in order to enhance the ratification and/or implementation of the Minamata Convention was a key factor in ensuring project success.

Awareness raising tools and materials were developed under each project. Under the first MIA conducted, live-action videos (filmed in each participating country) detailing the importance of the project were developed to use as an informational piece for government personnel. Bridged versions of these videos were also developed to sensitize the general public. Informational Graphics were also developed to target awareness on different mercury related issues such as mercury in cosmetics.  These were printed and placed strategically in schools and health care facilities.

Student seminars and high-level workshops were also conducted to raise the profile of mercury awareness in the Caribbean. This played a key role in the Government of Saint Lucia ratifying the Convention following the project.

The successes and lessons learned from this project has now informed the development of awareness raising animated videos under the subsequent MIAs and other project initiatives.

The aim of this knowledge lab will be to share the different strategies and materials developed by the BCRC-Caribbean under these projects and discuss the lessons learned for enhancing awareness raising in order to promote the ratification and implementation of the Minamata Convention. Also joining the BCRC-Caribbean will be the Project Director of the GEFGOLD Project from Conservation International-Guyana who will also be sharing the awareness raising materials developed under their project to further promote collaboration and information exchange. Overall, the knowledge lab is expected to promote information sharing across the regions and promote South-to-South cooperation for other Parties or agencies in their efforts to raise awareness on different aspects of mercury management.

The different awareness raising material including videos and pamphlets will be shared in a presentation format by the BCRC-Caribbean. The presentation will also aim to discuss tools and good practices for the development of communication strategies for chemicals management.